Acoustic noise reduction (ANR) headphones described herein have current detection circuitry that is used to detect current consumed by ANR circuitry as a result of pressure changes due to a tapping of a headphone, ear or head of a user. Tapping may be performed to change an audio feature or operating mode. The current detection circuitry senses a characteristic of the current that can be used to determine an occurrence of a tap event. Examples of a characteristic include an amplitude, waveform or duration of the sensed current. Advantageously, the ANR headphones avoid the need for control buttons to initiate the desired changes to the audio feature or operating mode. Error detection circuitry included in the ANR headphones can distinguish between a valid tap events and an occurrence of a different type of event that may otherwise be improperly be interpreted as a tap event.

An apparatus for realizing an active noise cancellation control law transfer function between a sensing microphone and a speaker. The apparatus includes a multiplicity of filters. Each filter is operable over a different frequency range. At least one filter has an adjustable parameter whereby the filter can be adjusted such that the filters cumulatively realize a required control law transfer function. The adjustable parameter may in one embodiment be the amplitude. In other embodiments, it may be other parameters.

A noise-cancelling system includes headset for generating a feedback signal for noise-cancellation in response to sound externally generated from the headset. An encoded microphone signal is generated in response to the first feedback signal. An audio generator can be used to generate a noise-cancellation signal in response to the encoded microphone signal and to generate an electronic audio signal in response to the encoded microphone signal and a first output audio signal. An audio connector is provided to couple the encoded microphone signal from the headset to the audio generator and to couple the first electronic audio signal to the headset.

A treadmill having a running deck comprising a motor arranged to drive movement of a tread belt, a processor, memory in electronic communication with the processor, and instructions stored in the memory. The instructions are executable by the processor to determine an anti-phase waveform based on waveform attributes of a noise emitted from the treadmill and to cause a sound of the anti-phase waveform to be emitted into a surrounding environment.

A method performed by an audio system that includes a headset with a left headset housing and a right headset housing. The method includes driving a speaker of the left headset housing with an audio signal, determining whether audio howl is present within the left headset housing by comparing spectral content from a first error microphone signal produced by a first error microphone of the left headset housing and spectral content from a second error microphone signal produced by a second error microphone of the right headset housing, and, in response to determining that audio howl is present, filtering the audio signal to mitigate the audio howl.

A method and system for reducing ambient noise distraction with an electronic personal display is disclosed. One example determines when the electronic personal display is in reader mode. In addition, ambient noise around the electronic personal display is also detected. Noise cancelling sound waves are generated at the electronic personal display for reducing ambient noise distraction. The noise cancelling sound waves are then output from at least one speaker coupled with the electronic personal display.

Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for audio signal processing are presented. A device for audio signal processing includes a memory configured to store instructions and a processor configured to execute the instructions. When executed, the instructions cause the processor to receive an external microphone signal from a first microphone and produce a hear-through component that is based on the external microphone signal and hearing compensation data. The hearing compensation data is based on an audiogram of a particular user. The instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to cause a loudspeaker to produce an audio output signal based on the hear-through component.

Automatic equalization for consistent headphone may take place in a playback mode of operation in which ANC is turned off and there is no direct feedback from an internal microphone (to the input of a speaker). An automatic user content equalization process is active during that mode of operation which adapts a filter AEQ to restore a flat or other desired frequency response at the output of the speaker despite variation in headphone fit. An estimate of a transfer function of a path S is determined, wherein the path S is from i) the input of the speaker of the headphone to the internal microphone signal. The filter AEQ is adapted based on the estimate of the transfer function of the path S while it filters user content audio that drives the input of the speaker of the headphone. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

An apparatus for canceling noise at an ear speaker includes a wideband active noise cancellation filter having a first bandwidth and configured to generate a wideband anti-noise signal from a received reference noise signal, a narrowband active noise cancellation filter having a second bandwidth smaller than the first bandwidth and configured to generate a narrowband anti-noise signal from an error noise signal, a filter between the ear speaker and an error microphone and configured to generate a feedback noise signal, and a controller. The controller is configured to eliminate the error noise signal by modifying coefficients of the wideband active noise cancellation filter and the narrowband active noise cancellation filter in response to the wideband anti-noise signal, the narrowband anti-noise signal, and the feedback noise signal.

A feedback noise reduction method, a feedback noise reduction system, and an earphone are provided. In the method, a channel morphological parameter of an acoustic channel between a microphone and a speaker in a feedback noise reduction system is detected; the feedback noise reduction system is switched from using a first noise reduction filter to using a second noise reduction filter in a case that it is determined that the acoustic channel is in an interfered state based on the channel morphological parameter; and a noise reduction signal is generated by using the second noise reduction filter to cancel a noise signal received by the feedback noise reduction system. A frequency response of the second noise reduction filter in a predetermined frequency band is less than a frequency response of the first noise reduction filter in the predetermined frequency band.